Published On: September 3rd, 2019Categories: Uncategorized

If there is a moment when competition climbing officially came of age it was in 2016, when the International Olympic Committee chose to include climbing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It was a huge boon for our sport, attracting unprecedented attention and celebration.

Now, with the Games less than one year away, American climbers have an even greater reason to celebrate: 18 year-old Brooke Raboutou, of Boulder, became the first American climber to qualify for the Olympics.

JoAnne Stevenson / Courtesy photo

Brooke Raboutou signing an Olympic banner at DIA after flying home from Japan on Aug. 26. This banner, with signatures from many Olympians, can be found at C.A.T.S. gym in Boulder.

Only 40 climbers in the world — 20 of each gender with a maximum of four athletes per country — will be allowed to compete in Tokyo. And there are no guaranteed spots for climbers of any country except Japan, the host country.

With her exceptional performance at the World Championships last month in Hachioji, Japan, Raboutou was among the first seven women worldwide to qualify.

What’s remarkable is not just that Raboutou qualified, but that she was able to overcome some disappointing competition results leading up to the World Championships.

“She wasn’t performing her best throughout the season,” her mom, Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou, told me. “She was pretty down on herself for not having the strong mental game that she’s used to having and I think that came to a head as this competition arose. I think that frustration really is what produced the results that got her into the Olympics.”

Raboutou earned her Olympic invitation by placing sixth in speed climbing, seventh in lead climbing, and 10th in bouldering in Hachioji — the same trio of climbing disciplines that will be showcased in Tokyo.

Unlike many Olympic hopefuls, Raboutou chose to be a full-time college student in addition to her heavy training schedule. “Brooke went through the season having something other than climbing,” said Erbesfield-Raboutou. “I think that was really important for Brooke.”

This week she returned to California for her sophomore year at the University of San Diego.

Raboutou has competed regularly since she was just seven years old. The following year she began setting records as the youngest female to achieve several difficulty levels in both bouldering and sport climbing. In 2012, at age 11, she became the youngest person ever, male or female, to climb a 5.14b.

Since Raboutou has already qualified, she won’t have to go to either event. She plans to stay in school this autumn, then commit to full-time Olympic training after the new year, either in Boulder or Salt Lake City.

In recent years she has earned top honors in her age category several times: combined youth World Champion in 2016; combined youth Pan American champion in 2017; and lead youth World Champion in 2018.

But 2019 had proven more challenging for Raboutou, all the way up until the Hachioji finals. In fact, she barely qualified for the finals, taking 19th place out of only 20 spots. Yet she somehow tapped into her familiar mindset, that of a lifelong champion. She stayed focused on her performance, not everyone else’s.

“She relied on herself for what it was going to take to deliver her best that day,” said Erbesfield-Raboutou. “And that’s what she did.”

Only one additional American female and two males will have the chance to qualify for the Olympics, yet there’s no assurance any of them will. Of the two remaining opportunities to qualify, one will be held this autumn in Toulouse, France and the other next spring at the Continental Championships in Los Angeles.

I can’t remember how many times in the last few weeks I’ve had or overheard conversations about how cool it is that she made it. So many people are so proud of her.

For as far and wide as her historic success reaches, Raboutou’s victory also feels like a hometown victory.

Contact Chris Weidner at cweidner8@gmail.com; Follow him on Instagram @christopherweidner and Twitter @cweidner8


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